Charles Bolden Keynote Speaker

  • Administrator, NASA
  • Former astronaut
  • Retired United States Marine Corps Major General

Charles Bolden's Biography

Charles Frank Bolden Jr. is a former Administrator of NASA, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and a former NASA astronaut. Selected by NASA in May 1980, Bolden became an astronaut in August 1981. His technical assignments included: Astronaut Office Safety Officer; Technical Assistant to the Director of Flight Crew Operations; Special Assistant to the Director of the Johnson Space Center; Astronaut Office Liaison to the Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance Directorates of the Marshall Space Flight Center and the Kennedy Space Center; Chief of the Safety Division at JSC; Lead Astronaut for Vehicle Test and Checkout at the Kennedy Space Center; and Assistant Deputy Administrator, NASA Headquarters. A veteran of four space flights, he has logged over 680 hours in space. Bolden served as pilot on STS-61-C (1986) and STS-31 (1990) and was the mission commander on STS-45 (1992), and STS-60 (1994).

Bolden was the first person to ride the Launch Complex 39 slidewire baskets which enable rapid escape from a Space Shuttle on the launch pad. The need for a human test was determined following a launch abort on STS-41-D where controllers were afraid to order the crew to use the untested escape system. A few years before his appointment by President Barack Obama to be the administrator of NASA, Bolden auditioned, along with professional actors, for the role of virtual host for NASA’s “Shuttle Launch Experience” educational attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island, Florida. On Jan 12, 2017, Bolden announced his resignation from NASA during a Town Hall meeting at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C.

His speaking topics include:

  • Space
  • Science
  • Technology

 

 

Read More

Videos of Charles Bolden

ISU SSP15 - NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
ISU SSP15 - NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Jr. Live@Q 2014
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Jr. Live@Q 2014
NASA: The next great chapter of exploration - Charles Frank Bolden Jr
NASA: The next great chapter of exploration - Charles Frank Bolden Jr

Check Charles Bolden's speaking fees and availability

    Sending your message…

    Please wait, this can take a moment

    Message sent…

    Close

    Please provide your details and we’ll get in touch as soon as possible.

    We can only respond to requests for professional speaking engagements. We are unable to respond to requests for autographs, shoutouts and personalized messages.

    Discover other speakers

    Dido Harding Speaker
    Exclusive
    Dido Harding
    CEO of the TalkTalk Group (2010-2017)
    Koen Schobbers speaking
    Koen Schobbers Speaker
    Exclusive
    Koen Schobbers
    Gaming and esports expert
    Terry Virts Speaker
    Exclusive
    Terry Virts
    Former Commander of the International Space Station
    Henrik von Scheel speaker
    Henrik von Scheel Speaker
    Exclusive
    Henrik von Scheel
    Leading strategist, Futurist and Industry 4.0 Originator
    Chris Mattmann Speaker
    Exclusive
    Chris Mattmann
    Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at NASA
    Scott Hartley Speaking
    Scott Hartley Speaker
    Exclusive
    Scott Hartley
    Venture Capitalist and Best-Selling Author
    Harper Reed
    Harper Reed Speaker
    Exclusive
    Harper Reed
    Chief Technology Officer, Obama For America 2012
    Michal Kosinski Speaker
    Exclusive
    Michal Kosinski
    Psychologist and Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University
    Kristin Smith Speaker
    Exclusive
    Kristin Smith
    Executive Director of the Blockchain Association
    Dani Gordon Speaker
    Exclusive
    Dani Gordon
    World leading neuro wellness expert